Tool construction.



No. 807,879. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. J. M. SULLIVAN. TOOL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG. 2..

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No. 807,879. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. J. M. SULLIVAN. I TOOL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOA'IION FILED APR.12,1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

FIG].

2 %IIVVENTOH 5 B ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed April 12, 1905. Serial No. 255,249.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to toolssuch as hatchets, hammers, and the likeand its obj cots are to provide an economical sheetmetal construction adapted for a first-class tool; to provide a hatchet which may be constructed out of sheet metal without sacrifice of approved hatchet configuration or outline and the service qualities demanded for a firstclass tool; to provide a construction wherein the hatchet-head or tool-head and its handle are combined to form a substantially integral member or wherein the different parts of the tool are practically inseparable, accidentally or otherwise; to provide a novel construction of helve or handle adapted to grip or enclasp the head of the tool firmly and securely and without the addition of parts which would add to the bulk or detract from the appearance of the tool as a whole; to provide a sheetmetal construction which is an improvement upon ordinary hatchet construction as to objectional bulk and lack of symmetry and wherein parts integral with the body of helve or handle engage or grip the tool-head or hatchet-blade against separation in all directions; to provide a combination of tool-head and handle wherein the relative adjustment and interfit is such as to relieve the fasteningrivets or their equivalents wholly or partly of strain; to provide a construction of hatchet or the like wherein a solid or substantially solid body of metal extends from edge of blade to face of poll, whereby the strength of the head of the tool is increased as well as the effectiveness of blows delivered thereby as opposed to the ordinary construction wherein the eye or openingfor the handle breaks continuity in direct line from edge of blade to center of poll; to provide a tubular sheet-metal handle or helve with additional strengthening means at the slightest possible increased cost; to provide a construction of helve or handle which will admit of the employment of a great variety of substances for the handgrip portion regardless of their unfitness to serve as handle material proper to the end of providing great latitude in the selection of substances intended to have embellishing or ornamental effects, or, on the other hand,

Fig. 4 is an end view of the tool.

substances which will aflord the best possible friction-hold regardless of their capacities to withstand such strains as are imposed upon an ordinary hatchet-helve; to provide a construction of hatchet wherein the head and that part of the helve or handle which engages said head together constitute a blade or head of comparatively uniform taper, such as is desired in a wedging or cutting tool.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts which embody the above-named objects and which are hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the drawings, and set forth in the appended claims.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a tool embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a topview thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the partition or strengthening wall within the tubular helve or handle. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the two substantially identical halves of the tubular sheetmetal helve. Fig. 6 is a view of the blade or hatchet-head proper. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the poll-head. Fig. 8 is a view repre senting a section taken on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a View taken on line Y Y, same figure; and Fig. 10 is a similar View taken on line Z Z, Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the handle.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the head or the blade for a hatchet, and same is preferably cut or stamped out of a single sheet of metal and so as to provide the formation of a poll or poll-support 3, a tang or shank portion 4, and a series of rivet-holes, such as holes 5, arranged to register with similar holes 6 in the poll-head 7 when the parts are assembled. In the poll-head is a slot 8 for the part 3 to enter. The helve, haft, or handle of the hatchet comprises principally two curva'te parts 10, stamped out of sheet metal. Each of said parts is formed to provide a flange 1 1, adapted to overlap or engage one-half of the thickness of edge 12 of the head or blade 2, a flange 13, adapted to similarly overlap the edge 14 of the blade, and flanges 15 15, which provide two sides of a socket for the shank or tang portion l. Between said socket portion of the handle or helve and the tip 16 of the latter the parts 10 are curvate in cross-section to provide the usual rounded helve contour. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) To provide for a sheath, sleeve, or covering for the hand-grip portion of the helve, the latter is formed to provide the tapered portion 17, comprising the two curvate portions 10 of the parts 10. The edges of the opposite portions 10 are bent over each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, to provide the interlocking channels 18 and flanges 19, alternately arranged, as shown in Fig. 2. The tip 16 has interior screw-threads 20 for a screw 21, adapted to hold a washer 22 in place against the tip of the hollow hand grip portion, sleeve, or covering 23, of rubber, cork, wood, ivory, or any other material especially suitable because of its ornamental effect, wearing, qualities, or its coeflicient of frictional engagement with the operators hand. As an added element of strength which will adapt the helve or handle to withstand great bending strain, such as may be imposed upon it when the nail-claw 24 is used, I provide a bracing-wall 25, stamped out of sheet metal, so as to leave a series of lugs 26, which serve as rivets adapted to enter rivet-holes 27 in the curvate body-sections of the handle. These holes are preferably counterbored or countersunk and the rivets 26 upset into the countersinks. The forward end of the wall is forked at 28, and said forked portion is arranged to engage the sides of the shank 4, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. As it is riveted'to the curvate sections of the body of the handle, said wall obviously strengthens the handle or helve against bending strains in all directions, though its resistance is greatest in its plane at right angles to the plane of the blade 2. D The disk part 29 of each of the handlesections 10 has a series of rivet-holes 30, adapted to register with holes 31 on the blade 2 and to receive rivets 32, having, preferably, countersunk heads to leave the outer surface of the hatchet smooth. The parts 29 may be termed cheeks or jaws, which by reason of their flanges 11 and 13 and the shoulders 33, provided by ends of flanges 15, enclasp or completely embrace both sides and opposite edges of the engaged portion of the head or blade 2.

The poll-head 7 when snugly mortised onto the part 3 becomes a substantially solid part of the blade or head, especially so far as hammering or cutting blows and their effect upon the fastening-rivets are concerned. In fact, all of the rivets may be relieved of appreciable impact strains by the construction herein described, the ends of flanges 11, 13, and 15 bearing against the inclined edges of blade and poll to support them upon theparts 29 in two directions, and the sides of said flanges support said blade and poll in two opposite directions in vertical planes when the hatchet is used in the ordinary manner. At the-place in the hatchet-head where the usual eye is formed'for the helve my construction provides increased rather than the usually diminished strength, the

body of the tool is made considerably thinner and more graceful in appearance at that point, nothing more than the bare thicknesses of .the cheeks 29 taking the place of the usual handle-bulge. Another very important advantage gained by the present construction is that the solidarity of head between cutting edge and poll adds to the firmness of impact or eflectiveness of the tool. Not infrequently the sides of the bulge produced by the opening for the helve in an ordinary hatchet break under the bending strains imposed upon them by the momentum of blade or poll when blows are struck.

As the usual configuration of hatchet-head provides inclined edges 33 34 on the cuttingblade portion of the head and inclined edges or sides 35 36 on the poll portion, hearings to support the head of the tool on parts 29 of the handle are provided for the ends of flanges 11 and 13 and the shoulder 33. Whenthe jaws 29 are clamped against the sides of the The said reversal of head and handle engage ment secures the very material advantage that the eye is placed substantially at a right angle to the direction in which head and handle tend to separate under centrifugal force. Even if the meeting edges of flanges 11 were soldered or brazed to ether and no rivets were used the head cou d not fly off the handle, and said construction of handle makes it possible to secure head and handle together without rivets or rivet-holes through the blade 2, letting the drilling of such holes, if any, that may be necessary be confined to the part of the tool which does not require a temper.

In addition to the previously-named functions of the sleeve 23 it also serves as means for concealing the oints which interlock the meeting ed es of the curvate sections 10. Strong inter ocking joints, such as shown and described herein, are necessarily, more or less obtrusive, and yet the construction shown provides for the complete concealment of such joints. When rivets 32 are employed and their heads countersunk, the surfaces of the head and handle after same have been ground or polished are left smooth, and the tool, so far as its metal portions are concerned, will appear as a single integral piece of metal.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a tool-head, of a shank projecting from said head, a tubular helve stamped out of sheet metal and conrod structed with a forked portion which embraces said head, the tubular portion of said helve being arranged to receive said shank and assist said forked portion in supporting said head upon said helve.

2. The combination with a tool-head, of a shank, a tubular helve having a fork thereon which embraces the sides of said head, said shank arranged to project into the tubular portion of said helve.

3. In combination, a tool-head provided with a projecting shank a sheet-metal head constructed to provide a fork, a socket and a reduced portion 17; said fork arranged to embrace said head and said socket arranged to receive said shank; a bracing wall or rib 25 arranged to stiffen the tubular portion of said helve, and ahand-grip portion 23 mounted upon the reduced portion 17.

4. The combination with a tool-head, of a shank, a tubular helve stamped out of sheet metal and having a forked ortion embracing said head, said shank rigidly secured within the tubular portion of said helve, said forked portion engaging two opposite sides of said head and having flanges which engage two other opposite sides or edges of said head.

5. The combination with a hatchet head or blade 2, having relatively inclined edges 33, 3.4 and 35, 36, of a sheet-metal helve or handle constructed to embrace the opposite sides of said head and to bear against said inclined edges.

6. The combination with a tool head or blade, of a helve stamped out of sheet metal and of tubular form, said helve consisting of two parts having a reduced portion 17 comprising parts 10 whose edges are interlocked and a sleeve 23 concealing said interlocking edges, said head provided with a transverse opening or eye 37 for the toolhead.

7. The combination with a tool-head of a handle comprising a pair of sheet-metal sections 10 stamped curvate in cross-section, said sections having reduced portions 10 provided with joints securing the meeting edges of said sections together and a handgrip portion or sleeve 23 arranged upon said handle to conceal or cover said oints.

8. In combination, a tool-head having a shank or tang portion 4 arranged at right angles to the body of said head, a sheet-metal helve having a socket 38 for said portion and an opening 37 for the body of said head, said socket arranged longitudinally and said opening arranged transversely of said head, and means for securing said head and helve together rigidly.

9. In combination, a tool-head having a shank 4 for the handle and shank 3 for the poll, said shanks arranged at right angles to each other, the recessed poll 7 riveted to the shank 3, the tubular sheet metal helve or handle having the opening 37 for the body of said head and the socket 38 for said shank, said opening and socket arranged at right angles to each other.

10. The combination of a tool-head having a handle shank 4 and a poll-sha11k 3 arranged at right angles to each other, the poll 7 mortised onto said shank 3, means for securing said poll and poll-shank together, a tubular helve or handle having an opening 37 for the body of the tool-head and a socket 38 for said handle-shank, said opening extending transversely through the handle and said socket extending longitudinally of the handle, and the sleeve or covering 23 providing a hand-grip surface for a portion of said handle.

11. The combination with a tool head, of a tubular sheet-metal handle having the cheeks or jaw members 29 embracing opposite sides of said head, said handle consisting of a pair of sections 10 formed to provide the reduced portion 17 comprising parts 10, 10 which have interlocking edges and the sleeve or covering 23 concealing said interlocking edges.

12. The combination with a tool-head, of a hollowhandle consisting of sections 10 having end flanges 11, 13 and side flanges 15 and 15 and jaw members 29, said flanges 15 and 15 having channels 18 and flanges 19 which interlock substantially as described, the sleeve or hand-grip portion 23 arranged upon said handle to cover the joints formed by said channels and flanges and the wall 25 having rivet-lugs 26 secured in openings 27, for the purpose set forth.

13. The combination with a toolhead, of a hollow sheet-metal handle consisting of sections 10 having interlocking edges, the sleeve 23 covering a portion of said handle and said interlocking joints, the wall 26 secured within and binding together said sections, for increasing the rigidity of said handle, said handle having the threaded tip 16, the washer 22 and screw 21 securing said sleeve to said handle, said handle having also the jaw members 29 which grip the sides and edges of the tool-head, and means for securing said jaw members and tool-head together rigidly.

14. The combination with a tool-head, of a handle, said handle consisting of sheet-metal members stamped curvate in cross-section, said handle having an eye 37 and a socket 38 arranged at right angles to each other, said head having a shank 4 adapted to enter said socket, means for interlocking the edges of said sheet-metal members, means for concealing the joints formed by the interlocking edges, means for clamping said handle to op posite sides of said head, and means integral with said sheet-metal members and said head for interlocking same against relative movement.

15. The combination with a tool-head 2 having the curved edges 12 and 14, of a hol- I testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES M. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

FRED. L. KOEHLER, A. R. WILSON. 

